Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective loss of motor neurons. Several susceptibility genes for ALS have been reported; however, ALS etiology and pathogenesis remain largely unknown. To identify further ALS-susceptibility genes,we conducted a large-scale case-control association study using gene-based tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A functional SNP (rs2275294) was found to be significantly associated with ALS through a stepwise screening approach (combined P 5 9.3 3 10210, odds ratio 5 1.32). The SNP was located in an enhancer region of ZNF512B, a transcription factor of unknown biological function, and the susceptibility allele showed decreased activity and decreased binding to nuclear proteins. ZNF512B over-expression increased transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) signaling, while knockdown had the opposite effect. ZNF512B expression was increased in the anterior horn motor neurons of the spinal cord of ALS patients when compared with controls. Our results strongly suggest that ZNF512B is an important positive regulator of TGF-b signaling and that decreased ZNF512B expression increases susceptibility to ALS.

title = "A functional variant in ZNF512B is associated with susceptibility to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Japanese",

abstract = "Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective loss of motor neurons. Several susceptibility genes for ALS have been reported; however, ALS etiology and pathogenesis remain largely unknown. To identify further ALS-susceptibility genes,we conducted a large-scale case-control association study using gene-based tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A functional SNP (rs2275294) was found to be significantly associated with ALS through a stepwise screening approach (combined P 5 9.3 3 10210, odds ratio 5 1.32). The SNP was located in an enhancer region of ZNF512B, a transcription factor of unknown biological function, and the susceptibility allele showed decreased activity and decreased binding to nuclear proteins. ZNF512B over-expression increased transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) signaling, while knockdown had the opposite effect. ZNF512B expression was increased in the anterior horn motor neurons of the spinal cord of ALS patients when compared with controls. Our results strongly suggest that ZNF512B is an important positive regulator of TGF-b signaling and that decreased ZNF512B expression increases susceptibility to ALS.",

author = "Aritoshi Iida and Atsushi Takahashi and Michiaki Kubo and Susumu Saito and Naoya Hosono and Yozo Ohnishi and Kazuma Kiyotani and Taisei Mushiroda and Masahiro Nakajima and Kouichi Ozaki and Toshihiro Tanaka and Tatsuhiko Tsunoda and Shuichi Oshima and Motoki Sano and Tetsumasa Kamei and Torao Tokuda and Masashi Aoki and Kazuko Hasegawa and Koichi Mizoguchi and Mitsuya Morita and Yuji Takahashi and Masahisa Katsuno and Naoki Atsuta and Hirohisa Watanabe and Fumiaki Tanaka and Ryuji Kaji and Imaharu Nakano and Naoyuki Kamatani and Shoji Tsuji and Gen Sobue and Yusuke Nakamura and Shiro Ikegawa",

T1 - A functional variant in ZNF512B is associated with susceptibility to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Japanese

AU - Iida, Aritoshi

AU - Takahashi, Atsushi

AU - Kubo, Michiaki

AU - Saito, Susumu

AU - Hosono, Naoya

AU - Ohnishi, Yozo

AU - Kiyotani, Kazuma

AU - Mushiroda, Taisei

AU - Nakajima, Masahiro

AU - Ozaki, Kouichi

AU - Tanaka, Toshihiro

AU - Tsunoda, Tatsuhiko

AU - Oshima, Shuichi

AU - Sano, Motoki

AU - Kamei, Tetsumasa

AU - Tokuda, Torao

AU - Aoki, Masashi

AU - Hasegawa, Kazuko

AU - Mizoguchi, Koichi

AU - Morita, Mitsuya

AU - Takahashi, Yuji

AU - Katsuno, Masahisa

AU - Atsuta, Naoki

AU - Watanabe, Hirohisa

AU - Tanaka, Fumiaki

AU - Kaji, Ryuji

AU - Nakano, Imaharu

AU - Kamatani, Naoyuki

AU - Tsuji, Shoji

AU - Sobue, Gen

AU - Nakamura, Yusuke

AU - Ikegawa, Shiro

PY - 2011/9/1

Y1 - 2011/9/1

N2 - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective loss of motor neurons. Several susceptibility genes for ALS have been reported; however, ALS etiology and pathogenesis remain largely unknown. To identify further ALS-susceptibility genes,we conducted a large-scale case-control association study using gene-based tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A functional SNP (rs2275294) was found to be significantly associated with ALS through a stepwise screening approach (combined P 5 9.3 3 10210, odds ratio 5 1.32). The SNP was located in an enhancer region of ZNF512B, a transcription factor of unknown biological function, and the susceptibility allele showed decreased activity and decreased binding to nuclear proteins. ZNF512B over-expression increased transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) signaling, while knockdown had the opposite effect. ZNF512B expression was increased in the anterior horn motor neurons of the spinal cord of ALS patients when compared with controls. Our results strongly suggest that ZNF512B is an important positive regulator of TGF-b signaling and that decreased ZNF512B expression increases susceptibility to ALS.

AB - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective loss of motor neurons. Several susceptibility genes for ALS have been reported; however, ALS etiology and pathogenesis remain largely unknown. To identify further ALS-susceptibility genes,we conducted a large-scale case-control association study using gene-based tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A functional SNP (rs2275294) was found to be significantly associated with ALS through a stepwise screening approach (combined P 5 9.3 3 10210, odds ratio 5 1.32). The SNP was located in an enhancer region of ZNF512B, a transcription factor of unknown biological function, and the susceptibility allele showed decreased activity and decreased binding to nuclear proteins. ZNF512B over-expression increased transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) signaling, while knockdown had the opposite effect. ZNF512B expression was increased in the anterior horn motor neurons of the spinal cord of ALS patients when compared with controls. Our results strongly suggest that ZNF512B is an important positive regulator of TGF-b signaling and that decreased ZNF512B expression increases susceptibility to ALS.